This Bible verse from Day 4's homework is worth repeating: You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with JOY in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. (Ps. 16:11)
Beth says, "Once again we discover that the fruit of the Spirit originates in the heart and personality of God...Chara (joy), just like agape (love), belongs to Christ. He is the Possessor and Giver of true joy. Fleeting moments of 'happiness' may be experienced through other channels, but inner joy flows only from Christ." Abiding in Christ, staying firmly connected to him, allows joy to flow into our lives.
I also like the list of joy-thieves. Here it is.
We may lose our joy...
1. When our outpour exceeds our intake. How are you doing with keeping that intake up? Do you need to refuel more or stop burning up the fuel supply so quickly? Maybe both--more frequent fueling through prayer, fellowship, and God's word AND letting up on the accelerator a bit?
2. When our talk exceeds our walk.Do you know all the right spiritual words but there's a dead place in your heart? Is your spiritual life more "do as I say, not as I do" or more "the love of Christ compels me?" Congruity is important; if your words don't match your heart or your actions, the resulting spiritual dissonance will make joy elusive.
3. When we become "wonders junkies." God does do wonderful, amazing things; we should watch for them and rejoice in them. (Especially in the amazing work of raising Christ from the dead.) But are you addicted to them? Do you feel that unless God is doing astonishing things in your life, transforming you dramatically, giving miraculous guidance, that he's not working at all? Or that you're not doing what you should be? God spoke to Elijah in a "still, small voice." God works in "the day of small things." God wants to meet you in the magnificent AND the mundane.
4.When we are exhausted.Fatigue makes everything harder. My sister says, "When you're tired, the whole world looks ugly." Exhaustion snuffs out joy and blinds us to God's tender care and provision for our needs. Beth says, "God created the body. He knows we cannot function well when it is neglected. Are you neglecting your rest? What about eating? In our culture, we rarely neglect to eat; however, we neglect to eat for the body's benefit." What about exercise? It's a great energy-booster, and it helps us sleep better, too. A healthy physical body often contributes to a healthy sense of joy, too.
5. When we feel all alone. This one hits home for me. Isolation is a killer. It causes us to focus too much on ourselves, to sink into pity parties or superiority slumps, and to lose perspective and courage. Are you too much alone? Even with people all around? What keeps you feeling alone? What changes is God leading you to make in this area?
Losing our joy happens. The good news is that finding it again is no big deal; it's right where we left it--in God's presence. HE is our joy!!!
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
Rejection
The video Sunday packed a punch, didn't it? When she asked the question, "Who has rejected you?" the past landed with a heavy thud in the middle of my chest. Who among us does not have a long history of small and large rejections that tear at the fabric of our peace and joy? Rejection--the fear of it, the experience of it, and the inevitability of it--is one of the most destructive forces we face. As Beth said, it can wound deeper and last longer than hosts of other injuries. It temps us to invite into our lives things we otherwise might never welcome. It can empower us to act in ways we never dreamed of behaving. Thank God that the One who has taken up residence in our hearts is greater than the one who sits outside trying to claw his way in!
Coincidentally (as if such things exist in God's domain!), earlier this week I received an email from someone close to me who has gone through severe rejection over the past several years. She's hurting. She often feels that God must have made a mistake in creating her since important people in her life tell her in various ways that the end result isn't worth much. She's bombarded with messages of failure and inadequacy. But in spite of these dark times, she has hope...because she has Jesus.
Here's what she wrote (I'm quoting it here because it relates both to Sunday's video and to Monday's homework. I think you'll recognize some of the verses referenced.): "I think the answer to my situation is Jesus, to keep my eyes firmly fixed on Him and to consider all my other dreams as rubbish compared to being with Him in His death and resurrection. Others may say I'm too radical, pushy, whatever - but I don't have to believe that. I can believe that this place isn't able to receive me. And I may never be in a place where anyone can receive me. It doesn't mean that I'm a mistake. It means that God sent His Son to those who were His own, but they wouldn't receive Him. The darkness couldn't comprehend Him. But to all who WOULD receive Him, He was the very power of God."
As she said, we live in a world that is not good at receiving; we reject one another in ways too numerous and painful to list. That many of those wounds are unintentional does not erase the damage. Our propensity for rejecting that which we should receive shows itself in our treatment of Christ. (And never think that because we personally weren't there that we aren't guilty of taking part in his rejection. If he had come to us in 2008, do you really think his treatment would have been any better? The WORLD--past, present, and future, all inclusive--is guilty of rejecting him.) The creator and ruler of the universe came to his own kingdom, his own people, and received not the homage and accolades he deserved but an outpouring of the bile of indifference, ignorance, and rebellion. Instead of a king's welcome, he was despised and rejected so violently that his final resting place on this earth was a grave with the wicked (Isaiah 53); he was tossed aside like any useless piece of junk. This is how humanity responds to the person of God among us.
But thanks be to God that in his grace that isn't the end of the story! Christ has opened up for us a way out. Into the darkness of rejection, he came as light. Although we in ourselves are horribly hindered in our ability to receive Christ or each other, Christ's death and resurrection have removed the power of our weaknesses. His perfect acceptance of us overcomes our rejection of him; his love swallows up our lack of love. There are now no hindrances left; through the gift of faith in Christ, we can come to God, and his Spirit can come to us and live in us. Here's the whole story from John 1: " He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but BORN OF GOD." What a precious gift to have God as our Father, to be adopted into his family. He never rejects us; his arms are always opened wide to welcome us. The chains of rejection have been broken.
Coincidentally (as if such things exist in God's domain!), earlier this week I received an email from someone close to me who has gone through severe rejection over the past several years. She's hurting. She often feels that God must have made a mistake in creating her since important people in her life tell her in various ways that the end result isn't worth much. She's bombarded with messages of failure and inadequacy. But in spite of these dark times, she has hope...because she has Jesus.
Here's what she wrote (I'm quoting it here because it relates both to Sunday's video and to Monday's homework. I think you'll recognize some of the verses referenced.): "I think the answer to my situation is Jesus, to keep my eyes firmly fixed on Him and to consider all my other dreams as rubbish compared to being with Him in His death and resurrection. Others may say I'm too radical, pushy, whatever - but I don't have to believe that. I can believe that this place isn't able to receive me. And I may never be in a place where anyone can receive me. It doesn't mean that I'm a mistake. It means that God sent His Son to those who were His own, but they wouldn't receive Him. The darkness couldn't comprehend Him. But to all who WOULD receive Him, He was the very power of God."
As she said, we live in a world that is not good at receiving; we reject one another in ways too numerous and painful to list. That many of those wounds are unintentional does not erase the damage. Our propensity for rejecting that which we should receive shows itself in our treatment of Christ. (And never think that because we personally weren't there that we aren't guilty of taking part in his rejection. If he had come to us in 2008, do you really think his treatment would have been any better? The WORLD--past, present, and future, all inclusive--is guilty of rejecting him.) The creator and ruler of the universe came to his own kingdom, his own people, and received not the homage and accolades he deserved but an outpouring of the bile of indifference, ignorance, and rebellion. Instead of a king's welcome, he was despised and rejected so violently that his final resting place on this earth was a grave with the wicked (Isaiah 53); he was tossed aside like any useless piece of junk. This is how humanity responds to the person of God among us.
But thanks be to God that in his grace that isn't the end of the story! Christ has opened up for us a way out. Into the darkness of rejection, he came as light. Although we in ourselves are horribly hindered in our ability to receive Christ or each other, Christ's death and resurrection have removed the power of our weaknesses. His perfect acceptance of us overcomes our rejection of him; his love swallows up our lack of love. There are now no hindrances left; through the gift of faith in Christ, we can come to God, and his Spirit can come to us and live in us. Here's the whole story from John 1: " He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but BORN OF GOD." What a precious gift to have God as our Father, to be adopted into his family. He never rejects us; his arms are always opened wide to welcome us. The chains of rejection have been broken.
Friday, January 25, 2008
The Greatest of These Is Love
Wow, what a whirlwind this week was! I didn't get to spend as much time here as I wanted, but I did manage to get my homework done. This week's homework was all about love. We hit eros (sexual love) and phileo (brotherly love), but the main focus was on agape love, the sacrificial, unconditional love that has its source in God's love for us. I so appreciated time spent thinking about what agape love is and isn't. I'm sure lots of us are familiar with the "love chapter" (1 Corinthians 13) and, like me, you might even have had it read at your weddings, but somehow I needed a refresher course.
In my journal I wrote two lists: the negatives (what love isn't or what it doesn't do) and the positives (what love is or does).
The first list includes these: love does not envy, does not boast, is not proud, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs, does not delight in evil. I don't know about you, but there's a boatload of conviction that comes along with that list!
But then comes the second list: Love is patient, love is kind. Love rejoices with the truth. Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love NEVER FAILS. (Another way to say that is that love is never in vain.)
And I'm reminded of something Beth said in Day 5, "Agape is more a response than a feeling." What is it that we respond to? Where does agape love come from in our lives? It's from the patience, kindness, and truth of Jesus Christ. He always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres. His love is not in vain; it conquered death and made us alive in Christ. It's alive and active in us. His love is demonstrated both by what he doesn't do (does not keep a record of wrongs or delight in evil or deal with us harshly or rudely) and by what he does. That's the love that flows in a strong stream from God, and when the Spirit opens the spigot, it floods our hearts and can overflow in demonstrations of love both for God and for those around us.
And that's another word I'm thinking about: demonstrations. How can I SHOW love? How can I demonstrate to others what this love of Christ is and how it works? How can I let people know that I "agape" them? I'm praying for some specific answers; that the Spirit will lead me into action.
What about you? What thoughts did this week's homework inspire in you? What points or passages stuck out to you the most?
In my journal I wrote two lists: the negatives (what love isn't or what it doesn't do) and the positives (what love is or does).
The first list includes these: love does not envy, does not boast, is not proud, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs, does not delight in evil. I don't know about you, but there's a boatload of conviction that comes along with that list!
But then comes the second list: Love is patient, love is kind. Love rejoices with the truth. Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love NEVER FAILS. (Another way to say that is that love is never in vain.)
And I'm reminded of something Beth said in Day 5, "Agape is more a response than a feeling." What is it that we respond to? Where does agape love come from in our lives? It's from the patience, kindness, and truth of Jesus Christ. He always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres. His love is not in vain; it conquered death and made us alive in Christ. It's alive and active in us. His love is demonstrated both by what he doesn't do (does not keep a record of wrongs or delight in evil or deal with us harshly or rudely) and by what he does. That's the love that flows in a strong stream from God, and when the Spirit opens the spigot, it floods our hearts and can overflow in demonstrations of love both for God and for those around us.
And that's another word I'm thinking about: demonstrations. How can I SHOW love? How can I demonstrate to others what this love of Christ is and how it works? How can I let people know that I "agape" them? I'm praying for some specific answers; that the Spirit will lead me into action.
What about you? What thoughts did this week's homework inspire in you? What points or passages stuck out to you the most?
Monday, January 21, 2008
What's in your fruit basket?
Can you believe it? Our first day together, and the topic that comes up for discussion in our homework is sex. Now that's getting personal! I think I'll take Beth's lead and not open that subject up for discussion just yet (maybe we'll come back to it when we get to know each other better), but what an important aspect of love this is. Sexual love is personal--about as personal as you can get; it echoes the emotional, physical, and spiritual nakedness Adam and Eve enjoyed in the Garden of Eden, with no barriers to intimacy, no shame to separate husband and wife. It also echoes the loving connection God forges between himself and his beloved bride, the church. So sex is a beautiful and wonderful thing, a gift from God, and as such is certainly an area of life that can be touched by the Holy Spirit or withheld from his influence. The questions related to eros love that I'm pondering today are, "What would this area of my life look like if I surrendered it totally to the Spirit? How would my behavior be different? How would my feelings be different? How am I reserving control for myself? How am I hiding? How am I practicing trust and faith in God in this area? How can I step out in even greater trust?" Big questions, I know--worthy of some prayer time or journal time. And, yes, discussion time, too, but for now I'll leave that between you, your husbands, and God.
Instead, let's chat a bit. We're getting ready to learn more about all of the specific parts of the fruit of the spirit. This week it's love; next week is joy. Isn't it so fantastic that God gives us such good gifts? I love what Beth said in the workbook about Jesus being the best illustration we have of a "fruitful" human being. And although we often get negative and focus only on what we don't have, one thing we do have is the Spirit of Christ within us. His spirit lives in us, and his spirit ACTS--it creates, influences, guides, corrects, teaches, and grows us up into ripe, luscious fruits. So let's take a look at the work of the Spirit in our lives and get to know each other a bit better, too. I'd like you to reply to this post with a quick comment introducing yourself (you don't have to give your full name if you'd prefer not to; screen names, nicknames or first names are fine) and then sharing which aspect of the fruit of the Spirit you believe is most evident when you look at your own life and which aspect you'd like to see more of. In case you've forgotten, the nine aspects are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Don't tell anyone, but I had to check to make sure I got them in the right order--I'd better keep practicing that memory verse!)
I'll start. Check the comments for my intro, most evident aspect of the Spirit's work in my life (in my opinion), and the aspect I'd like to see more of.
Instead, let's chat a bit. We're getting ready to learn more about all of the specific parts of the fruit of the spirit. This week it's love; next week is joy. Isn't it so fantastic that God gives us such good gifts? I love what Beth said in the workbook about Jesus being the best illustration we have of a "fruitful" human being. And although we often get negative and focus only on what we don't have, one thing we do have is the Spirit of Christ within us. His spirit lives in us, and his spirit ACTS--it creates, influences, guides, corrects, teaches, and grows us up into ripe, luscious fruits. So let's take a look at the work of the Spirit in our lives and get to know each other a bit better, too. I'd like you to reply to this post with a quick comment introducing yourself (you don't have to give your full name if you'd prefer not to; screen names, nicknames or first names are fine) and then sharing which aspect of the fruit of the Spirit you believe is most evident when you look at your own life and which aspect you'd like to see more of. In case you've forgotten, the nine aspects are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Don't tell anyone, but I had to check to make sure I got them in the right order--I'd better keep practicing that memory verse!)
I'll start. Check the comments for my intro, most evident aspect of the Spirit's work in my life (in my opinion), and the aspect I'd like to see more of.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Welcome!
Welcome to the Zion Women blog, created especially for those women currently studying "Living Beyond Yourself" by Beth Moore at Zion Lutheran Church. Because our time together on Sunday mornings doesn't allow for as much discussion as we'd like, this blog was created as a place where we can share insights, ask questions, and make comments about what we're hearing, reading, and learning. Listening to the videotapes is wonderful; doing the homework is a fantastic way to go deeper in God's precious Word. But let's face it; some of us learn best and remember more when we're TALKING. We like to bounce ideas off other human beings, tell our stories, and ask questions. We like to know what other women are thinking and doing in response to the leading of the Spirit. We like our learning and living to be active and personal. So let's dive in!
Check this blog each week for insights and/or questions based on the "Living Beyond" study. These posts are designed to spur our thinking and talking. They are an invitation to engage. Please add to the discussion with WHATEVER thoughts struck you during your time in the study and in the Word. At the end of each post is a little button that says "comments." When you click on that, a page will open up where you can write your questions and comments. Please don't be shy! And check back to see what others have contributed, too. If you get in the habit of reading the posts on the opening page, clicking through to read the comments, and adding your contributions to the discussion, we can create here a lively place of encouragement and growth. Please email Rachel Boyer at rboyer6@gmail.com if you have any questions.
Check this blog each week for insights and/or questions based on the "Living Beyond" study. These posts are designed to spur our thinking and talking. They are an invitation to engage. Please add to the discussion with WHATEVER thoughts struck you during your time in the study and in the Word. At the end of each post is a little button that says "comments." When you click on that, a page will open up where you can write your questions and comments. Please don't be shy! And check back to see what others have contributed, too. If you get in the habit of reading the posts on the opening page, clicking through to read the comments, and adding your contributions to the discussion, we can create here a lively place of encouragement and growth. Please email Rachel Boyer at rboyer6@gmail.com if you have any questions.
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